Automatic signal for draw-bridges



(No Model.)

Patented July 5, 18 87.

NITED STATES LEONARD J. JOHNSTON, OF BERGEN POINT, NE\V JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL FOR DRAW-BRIDGES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,818, dated July 5, 1887.

Application filed January 1], 1886. Serial No. 188,189. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatl, LEo ARnJ. J OHNSTON, of Bergen Point, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in AutomatieSignals for Draw-Bridges; and I hereby declare the following to be a full and clear description thereof.

The object of this invention is to construct a signal which will be automatically displayed when the bridge commences to open, thereby giving timely warning to a railway-train, to teams, or to individuals tokeep off from danger.

The invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1 is a side elevation of one end of a bridge fitted with my improved automatic signal. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, showing the bridgejust started to open and the signal in dotted lines thrown out overthe roadway. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed elevation of the operating mechanism for moving the signal, which said mechanism is actuated by the bridge. Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan of the part shown in Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6 show an equivalent modification of the mechanism for operating the sig' nal from the bridge. Fig. 7 is an edge view of the end of the draw.

The bridge A is supposed to be of the ordinary form of draw-bridge, and the abutment A is also such as is in common use; At some distance from the bridge-say at five hundred or at one to two thousand feet therefrom, if required-l erecta post, B, by the side of the roadway. By the side of this post,and hinged to it,I erect a rocking post, C, from the top end of which projects a lateral arm, 0, which carries the signal target or lantern O, adapted to swing out over the center of the roadway when the signal is to be displayed and by the side of the roadway when the signal is housed. The two positions are shown, respectively, in full and in dotted lines in Fig. 2. of the post 0 also carries another lateral arm, 0, which is used to operate it, as hereinafter described.

A weight, \V, or a spring in lieu thereof, is engaged with the outer end of the arm 0 by incansof a suit-able cord or rod constructed and The bottom end arranged so as to rotate the rocking post G onequarter of a turn, and thereby throw the signal arm 0' perpendicularly out over the roadway, the movement being automatic at every opening of the bridge, as hereinafter described.

On the abutment A, near the end with which the bridgeAengages, is an elbow-lever, D, pivoted in a recess below the surface or floor of the abutment, so that one arm, 11, is below the surface, and the other arm, d,projects slightly above the surface working in a slot in a plate which is flush with said surface or floor.

To the end of the vertical arm (2 is attached one end of a Wire rope or rod, E, the other end of which is attached to the lower arm, 0", of the post 0. The end of the horizontal arm (1 carries a friction-roller, 2', working in a vertical plane transversely to the length of the arm.

On the end of the bridge or draw A, which engages with the abutment, is an inclined plane, 1), for engagement with the frictionroller 1', as shown in Fig. 7, so as to depress the horizontal arm d when the bridge is closed and allow it to rise when the bridge is open. The effect of this construction is that as soon as the bridge starts to open the arm (1, following the opening movement of the bridge, causes the leverD to makeasufficientmovement, (operat ing through the connecting rod or cord E to the rocking post O,which is rotated outwardly by the actuating spring or weight V on being released by the latch-lever D,) to cause the signal O to swing out squarely over the roadway, and when the bridge closes the returning end of the bridge strikes the arm (Z and moves the lever D, so as to return the signal by the side of the roadway in its housed position. In lieu of this mechanism an equivalent one is shown in Fig. 5. In this figure the arm O of the rocking post O is connected by the cord or rod E with thelatching-piece F,wl 1ich is connected with the floor of the abutmentby the latching-lever F. The latch piece F is,

when the bridge is closed, thrown over by its lever F, so as to engage with the latching-lug fon the bridge'floor, and in this position the signal 0 is held in its housed position by the side of the track; but as soon as the bridge starts to open the lug f, moving laterally with the bridge away from the latch-piece F, un-

fastens it, and this releases the shaft orpost G, and thereby permits the spring or Weight W to throw the signal out over the roadway, as before. In the construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the bridge in opening, as already eX- plained,, will unlatch the signal and the weight will carry the same to thedanger position; but the restoration of the signal to the safety position is in this construction accomplished by the attendant and not automatically upon the closing of the bridge.

' Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An automatic signal for draw-bridges, consisting of a rotating post erected at some distance from the end of the bridge and carrying at its top end a lateral arm adapted to carry the signal and be turned out directly over the roadway when the signal is thrown," and, in combination with said rotating signalpost, an actuating device, as a weight or spring attached directly to the post, so as to swing it out-over the roadway when desired, and with a rod or V cord attached to the said rotating post by one of its ends, and with a latch-piece on the U described and set forth.

2. Adraw-bridge provided with downwardly-curved transverse signal-operating seats at its ends, in combination with friction-rollers adapted to operate thereon when the bridge is opened or closed, and attached to operatinglevers fulcrumed to the abutment of the bridge, and connected by means of ropes,rods,or similar attachments with a rotating signal-post located at some considerable distance from the bridge and actuated by a directly-attached operating spring or weight, so as to throw the signal-arm affixed to the top end of the signalpost out over the roadway wheneverthe swinging of the bridge moves off of the roller on the engaging end of the abutment-lever, substantially as shown and described.

3. The downwardly and transversely curved operating'roller seat at the end of a drawbridge engaging with and operating the roller d and its lever D, and in combination there with the connecting rope or rod E, signal post (J, and the actuating-weight WV, substantially as shown and described.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand I in presence of two witnesses.

LEONARD J. JOHNSTON.

Witnesses:

ABRAHAM V. JOHNSTON, DANIEL B. GARDEN. 

